The US government will ban oil extraction in certain areas of Alaska
The US government announced on the 6th that it will abolish seven oil and gas extraction contracts related to the Alaska National Arctic Wildlife Refuge previously licensed by the government, and intends to restrict oil and gas development in approximately 43000 square kilometers of Alaska's National Oil Reserve.
Seven contracts covering approximately 1477 square kilometers of the National Arctic Wildlife Refuge were signed between the Alaska government owned oil extraction agency and the former US government.
According to CNN, the US Department of the Interior has proposed protecting the natural ecology of the aforementioned National Oil Reserve, which covers an area equivalent to approximately 40% of the National Oil Reserve. In addition, the US government will also restrict oil extraction activities within an additional approximately 10000 square kilometers of the National Oil Reserve.
The debate in American politics over Arctic wildlife reserves is long-lasting. This protected area is located within the Alaska oil reserves. Earlier this year, the White House approved a project by ConocoPhillips in northern Alaska, which sparked dissatisfaction among environmentalists and indigenous peoples.
The website of the US Political Daily believes that the US government's decision to halt some oil extraction projects in Alaska at this time may help calm the anger of environmentalists and local residents, but the timing is quite sensitive. With crude oil prices rising this week, domestic gasoline prices in the United States are facing upward pressure.
Alaska was once a major oil producing region in the United States, with an average daily oil production of over 2 million barrels in the late 1980s. However, in recent years, production has decreased to less than 500000 barrels per day.
US Secretary of the Interior, Deb Harlan, said on the 6th that rapid climate change in Alaska poses a threat to local indigenous communities, prompting the Department of the Interior to make the aforementioned decision.
Harlan said that given that the rate of climate change in the Arctic region is more than twice that of other parts of the world, "we must implement the highest level of protection standards to protect the fragile ecosystems in this region to the best of our ability.".